Snubber



A. W. BRUCE Nov. 27, 1945.

SNUBBER Filed June l, 1944 INVENTOR /9/ red VV. Bruce Elea/6 Patented Nov. 27, 17945 UNI-.TED STATES PATENT O FFICE SNUBBER Alfred W. Bruce, New York, N.. Y., assignory to American Locomotive Company, New York,A N. Y., alcorporation of New York Application June 1, 1944', Serial No. 538,255V

4 Claims.

` This invention relates to snubbers and more particularly to friction snubbers foy railway vevehicle trucks.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved friction snubb'er for use in a railway vehicle truck having a spring-borne frame.

A further object is to provide, for use in a railway vehicle truck of the equalizer type, friction snubbers adapted to be secured to the ends of the equalizers and to the side frame outwardly beyond the journal boxes.

A further object is to provide a fnction snubber ofl novel structural characteristics involving coacting friction elements and a pressure spring therefor.

A further object is to provide a friction snubber having relatively longitudinally movable engaging elements and a spring providing friction-producing lateral pressure ltherebetween.

A further object is to provide a friction snubber having double friction elements' and a common element and separate springs therefor.

Other and further objects of this invention will appear from the following description, the accompanying drawing and the appended claims.

ReferringA to the drawing forming a part of this application, Figure 1 is a side elevation diagrammatically showing one-halt` of a railway vehicle truck embodying the present invention; Fig. 2 is an enlarged section, on the line II-II of Fig. 4, of the snubber of the present invention, portions of the truck being indicated in dot-dash lines; Fig. 3 is an end view of the snubber of Fig. 2, portions of the truck being indicated in dotdash lines; and Fig. 4f is a section on the line IV-IV of Fig. 2.

A railway vehicle truck illustrative of a type of truck especially adapted for the present invention is shown in the drawing forming a part of this application and briefly described@ hereinafter and is indicated generally by the reference numeral l. While only one-half of one side of the truck is shown in Fig. l, it will be understood that the other half, and the other side, isl

similar to the half shown. Therefore only the portion of the truck shown in Fig. 1 will be described. 'I'he truck` is of the four-wheel type, but the.` invention has application to other types of. trucks.

The present invention contemplates the employment of a friction snubber, indicated generally by the reference numeral 2, at each end of the truck at each side thereof.

An equalizer 3 isv supported at one end on top of a journal box 4, and aside frame member 5 is spring-supported on the equalizer, there being for this purpose a group of coil springs 6 adjacent the journal box. The journal box is disposed for vertical movement in a pedestal jaw of the side frame member. The equalizer engages the journal box by means of a curved face 8 formed on the equalizer. The journal box' is supported in a conventional. manner, by means ofthe usual brass 9 and Wedge l0', on an axle on which is secured a Wheel |'2, or the box' may be supported on roller bearings in a conventional manner if desired..

The equalizer is formed of two flat plates I`3', one on each side of the side frame member 5. Therefore a spring seat 4 is provided on the equalizer for the coil springs 5.. Each pl'a'te |'3 extends beyond the journal box providing exten.-

sions l5- The side frame member 5 also extends beyond the journal box providing an extension |6 in which isformed a window IT. Snubb'er 2 is disposed in this window.

Snubber 2 includes a member i8' provided' at its top with an orificed boss I9' disposed' between the plate extensions I5 and pivotally secured thereto by a pin 20, the extensions |'5v being provided with ori'iices in line with the orifice of` boss I9. Member lllv is further provided with a depending friction bar 2| having corrugated trans'- verse faces 22, the. corrugations extending ver'- ti'cally. The snubber further includes a yoke member 23 provided with a casing 24 through' which the bar 2'! extends, with clearance in a longitudinal direction at each side thereof, legs 25 depending from the casing 24' to the portionof the side frame member below window t?, indicated by the numeral 25, which portion 2'5 the legs straddle. Each leg is oriced and' the portion 2B is provided with an orifice in line with the leg orifices. A pin 21 pivotally secures the legs. to the portion 2B.

Casing 2'4 is substantially rectangular in shape and is openy at the top' and bottom for the passage therethrough of the bar 2|. On either side of the bar 2| in casing 24 is disposed a shoe 28 also extending through the top and bottom openings of the casing,'each shoe having acorrugated face 29 mated with the adjacent face 22. Each shoe further has a top ilange 30 overlapping the adjacent top transverse edge of the casing 24v and a bottom ilange 30 overlapping the adjacent bottom transverse edge of the casing 24. Shoes 28 are each of the same transverse widthl as bar 2| and casing 24 is provided with shoulders 3| abutting the outer faces of the shoes 28', limiting their movement away from the bar 2|. Each shoe has a central horizontal orice 32, and bar f8V 1 is provided with a vertical slot 33 in. line with orices 32.

While but a single spring arrangement as' hereinafter further mentioned may be employed, the snubberv is shown as comprising double elements. Here a horizontal cylindrical spring housing 34 is formed integrally with the casing 24 on each transverse side thereof, the housings 34 thereby being aligned longitudinally of the truck. A coil spring is disposed in each housing, each bearing at one end against the adjacent shoe 28 and at the other or outside end against a retaining oriiiced washer 36. A bolt 31 extends through the orifices of the washers 36, through the springs 35, the orifices 32 of the shoes 28 and the slot 33 of bar 2|, the bolt 31 having a head 38 engaging the outer face of one of the washers and a nut 39 engaging the outer. face of the other of the washers. The nut is .tightened up suiciently to put the springs 35 under the proper compression to provide a predetermined desirable pressure between the shoes 28 and the bar 2|. While such a construction is preferable it is obvious that one spring and washer may be dispensed with and the nut 39 brought to bear against the adjacent shoe.

The operation of the snubber is as follows: Due to road irregularities and similar causes, vertical relative movement, either parallel or tilting, will occur between the equalizer and the side frame member of the truck, this movment being permitted by the coil springs 6, the vertical clearance between the box 4 and the side frame member, and the curved face 8. Such vertical relative movements cause the pins 28 and 21 to move toward or away from each other, depending upon the direction of such relative movements. Thus corresponding vertical relative movement is caused between bar 2l and shoes 28 and this movement is yieldingly resisted by the friction generated between the faces 22 and 29, the springs 35 determining the extent of this frictional resistance. As the faces 22 are parallel vertically, this frictional resistance will be constant at all times regardless of the direction or extent of the vertical relative movement. The corrugations of faces 22 and 29 provide a large amount of friction surface.

This snubbing of the vertical relative movements between the equalizer and the side frame member improves the riding -characteristics of the truck. As aforesaid, there will be a snubber 2 at each of the four corners of the truck.

While there has been hereinbefore described an approved embodiment of the invention, it will be understood that many and various changes and modifications in form, arrangement of parts and details of construction thereof may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that all such changes and modifications as fall within the scope of the appended claims are contemplated as a part of this invention.

The invention claimed and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

l. A snubber comprising a bar having opposite longitudinally corrugated friction faces; shoes having corrugated friction faces coacting one with each of said bar faces; a casing surrounding said shoes and bar and having an opening adjacent the outer face of each shoe; a spring housing secured to said casing and surrounding each of said openings; a coil spring disposed in each of said housings, each bearing at its inner end against the adjacent shoe; washers engaging the outer ends of said springs'said shoes and washers being orificed and said bar being slotted; and an adjusting bolt passing through said orifices and slot and engaging the outer faces of said washers whereby said springs can be placed under predetermined compression, each of said Shoes having portions extending beyond the adjacent portions of said casing and overlapping same for movement of said shoes with said casing, said casing and bar being adapted for relative movement longitudinally of said corrugations.

2. A snubber comprising a bar having opposite longitudinal friction faces; shoes having friction faces coacting one with each of said bar faces, said bar having a longitudinal slot and said shoes having orifices aligned with said slot; a casing surrounding said shoes and bar and having an l` opening adjacent the outer face of each shoe, each of said shoes having opposite portions extending beyond adjacent portions of said casing and overlapping same for movement of said shoes with said casing; a spring housing at each of said openings secured to said casing; a coil spring disposed in each of said housings, extending through the adjacent opening, and bearing at its inner end against the adjacent shoe; and adjustable bolting means extending through said slot and orifices and bearing against the outer ends of said springs whereby said springs are retained in said housings and can bey placed under predetermined compression, said casing and bar being adapted for relative movement longitudinally of said bar.

3. A snubber comprising a bar having opposite longitudinal friction facesf shoes having friction faces coacting one with each of said bar faces; a casing surrounding said shoes and bar and having an opening adjacent the outer face of each shoe, each of said shoes having opposite portions extending beyond adjacent portions of said casing and overlapping same for movement of said shoes with said casing, said casing and bar being adapted for` relative movement longitudinally of said bar, said shoes being oriiiced and said bar being longitudinally slotted in line with said orifices; a spring housing at one of said openings and secured to said casing; and means for pressing said shoes against said bar including a coil spring disposed in said housing, extending through said opening adjacent said housing and bearing at its vinner end against the adjacent shoe, an orificed washer engaging the outer end of said spring and a tension bolt for placing said spring under predetermined compression extending from the outer face of said washer through said washer orifice, said coil spring, said adjacent shoe orifice, said slot and said orifice of the other of said shoes and therebeyond whereby said other shoe cooperates with said bolt to resist expansion of said spring.

4. A snubber comprising a bar having'opposite longitudinal friction faces; a casing surrounding said bar and having oppositely disposed spring housings, said casing and bar being adapted for relative movement longitudinally of said bar; shoes having friction faces coacting one witheach of said bar faces, said shoes being confined in said casing for movement therewith, said bar having a longitudinal slot and said shoes having orifices aligned with said slot; a coil spring disposed in each of said housings, and bearing at its inner end against the adjacent shoe; and adjustable bolting means extending through said slot and orifices and bearing against the outer ends of said springs whereby said springs are retained in said housings and can be placedunder predetermined compression.

ALFRED W. BRUCE. 

